WORLD

Paris, France | AFP | UNESCO’s new chief on Monday brushed aside the United States’ decision to walk out of the UN cultural body, saying the organisation had survived long periods without Washington before. Former French culture minister Audrey Azoulay, elected on Friday to head UNESCO, said the US was “not …

Paris, France | AFP | In his first six months in power, French President Emmanuel Macron has chalked up one reform after another in a whirlwind that has nevertheless seen his poll numbers plummet. The former investment banker’s stunning rise cast aside France’s traditional left and right, creating a solid centrist …

Beirut, Lebanon | AFP | Saad Hariri, whose resignation as Lebanon’s prime minister a week ago sent shock waves across the region, said Sunday he is “free” in Saudi Arabia and will return to Lebanon “very soon”. In an interview from Riyadh with his party’s Future TV, Hariri brushed aside rumours …

Manila, Philippines | AFP | Donald Trump said Sunday he backed the US intelligence agencies which concluded that Russia meddled in the 2016 US presidential election, but slammed “fools” who oppose better ties with Moscow. Key former Trump aides are under US investigation for possible collaboration with the Kremlin, and …

Tehran, Iran | AFP | From a Yemeni missile attack to the resignation of Lebanon’s prime minister, the “Cold War” between Middle East rivals Saudi Arabia and Iran has been heating up. Experts believe the risk of a direct military clash is low, but why have tensions escalated now and how …

Ljubljana, Slovenia | AFP | Slovenia’s internet-savvy President Borut Pahor on Sunday won a second term in a runoff vote that was marred by an abysmally low turnout. Centre-left ex-premier Pahor, 54, had been touted to win in October, but a record low 44-percent turnout triggered a repeat vote, with 1.7 …

Geneva, Switzerland | AFP | A group of vulnerable refugees from several African countries, who had been stuck in war-ravaged Libya, have been evacuated to Niger, the UN said Sunday. The UN refugee agency said the evacuation of 25 “extremely vulnerable refugees” from Libya Saturday marked the first of its kind. …

Dubai, United Arab Emirates | AFP | Emirates Airlines on Sunday agreed to purchase 40 Boeing 787-10 Dreamliners for $15.1 billion at list price, its chief Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al-Maktoum said. Emirates is already the world’s largest client for Boeing’s 777, with 165 jets and another 164 on firm …

Danang, Vietnam | AFP | The United States and Russia issued a presidential joint statement saying there was “no military solution” to the war in Syria after their leaders met briefly on the sidelines of a regional summit in Vietnam. There had been mixed messages for days from both Moscow and …

Tecomán, Mexico | AFP |  Like any other 10-month-old, Luis Manuel Gonzales babbles and touches anything within reach. But he stands out in a stunning and perhaps life-threatening way: he weighs 28 kilos (62 pounds). He might need medical treatment costing a fortune, but his father earns a little over …